Wood Chip
Choose quality wood chip
for quality livestock
If you need wood chip for winter pads, calf beds, lanes or other dairy and agricultural purposes, contact us. McNeill and Tulloch are the exclusive suppliers of wood chip from its sister company Niagara.
McNeill wood chip is sourced from Niagara Sawmill where quality radiata pine is chipped for both export and local manufacture and distribution. The wood chip produced is clean, quick drying chip ideal for use in the rural sector.
Why use wood chip for dairy pads?
Dairy cows spend 10 to 12 hours a day resting, so bedding is an important factor influencing their health, comfort and lying time. Consequently, milk production and dairy farm profitability are also influenced.
Decreased lying comfort has been implicated as a risk factor for lameness, which is considered one of the greatest welfare concerns in the dairy industry.
Cows need a clean, dry and comfortable surface to rest upon.
Wood Chip is Clean
Not only does radiata pine smell fresh, it is naturally hygienic, much like a wooden chopping board that has a natural tannin to act as an anti-bacterial agent.
Counts of coliforms and environmental Streptococci in bulk tank milk are indicators of the quality of milking practices and milking equipment sanitation. Coliform counts in particular are often used to assess the effectiveness of cow preparation at milking time since the primary source of coliform bacteria is dirty teats.
Cleaner cows are easier to prepare prior to milking and are less susceptible to mastitis. Stall maintenance and speed of moving cows to the milking shed can influence cow hygiene.
Wood Chip is Quick Drying
Wood chip can be washed and dries quickly with air circulating through the individual chips, keeping moisture at a minimum.
It is important to keep bedding as dry as possible to minimise exposure to environmental mastitis pathogens. Moisture is one of several essential factors necessary for bacterial growth in bedding materials.
Cows Prefer to Rest on Wood Chip
The most simple way to really determine if cows like lying on wood chip is to witness a situation where they have the option. Farmers using wood chip constantly tell us cows will walk over grass, dirt and concrete to lay down on a bed of McNeill wood chip.
Sawdust
McNeill sawdust is perfect for:
- Calf pads
- Calf sheds
- Horse stables
Please Enquire for a Competitive Rate
Phone us on 0800 879 879 or email woodchip@mcneilldistribution.nz for a quote.
Ph:
+64 3 230 3000 |
E:
admin@mcneilldistribution.nz
1 Clapham Road, Kennington, Invercargill 9871